On February 14 of this year, the Prime Minister announced the government’s intention to develop, with Indigenous peoples, a “Recognition and Implementation of Indigenous Rights Framework” (RIIRF). One element of this framework would be to require federal officials to carry out their duties in ways that respect our rights under the Constitution and international law. I have written the Prime Minister and urged the Minister of Justice to work on changes to the Crown’s approach to litigation management. A lot of you Chiefs have a great many questions about this Rights Recognition Framework. There’s a lot of uncertainty.

Because there are so many questions to be determined by First Nations rights holders. What structure do you want to use? Is it bands or reserves? Is it Treaty areas? How do you want to reconstitute our Nations and Tribes?